2018 Nissan Rogue: What to check before buying

The brakes slam on by themselves with nothing ahead, usually at 25 to 55 mph, often with a grinding noise and a dash warning. Occupants report whiplash and being thrown into the steering wheel, and drivers behind have to swerve. A smaller group reports the opposite problem: a pedal that goes hard or only halfway down, ending in rear-end crashes. Dealers often cannot reproduce the fault. Owners describe software updates and repeated radar sensor replacements, and many say the braking came back afterward. The filings record 10 injuries.

False automatic emergency braking dominates here too, and several owners say it returned after the software update. The navigation screen, gauge cluster, and climate controls can shut off and reboot while driving. Engine stalls are blamed on a shorted ignition harness or a failed engine wiring harness, and both repairs are expensive. Backup camera blackouts and failed sensors at state inspection also appear. Five complaints involve crashes, including cases where automatic braking or ABS did not engage before impact.

The car brakes hard with no obstacle at speeds up to 65 mph, often with a grinding or rumble-strip sound and only a brief warning. Many cases begin within the first 1,000 miles, and intersections and railroad tracks are frequent triggers. Radar obstruction messages and AEB malfunction lights keep appearing even after the recall repair. Dealers cite technical service bulletin 18-041A and have reprogrammed or replaced the control unit. In a few reports the system did the opposite and failed to stop the car before a low-speed collision.

The CVT transmission jerks, hesitates, revs high without picking up speed, or drops into a limited-power mode near 40 mph. Owners report full failures needing a new transmission between 46,000 and 110,000 miles, sometimes leaving drivers stranded or losing power in highway traffic. Dealers often find no fault codes. One dealer quoted at least $5,500 for a replacement. A separate report describes the vehicle rolling backward after being shut off and injuring the owner.

Serious collisions end with no deployment at all, including front impacts, side impacts, and rear-end hits at 50 mph or more. In several of these crashes the car was totaled. Reported injuries include a fractured vertebra, head strikes on the steering wheel, and neck and back sprains. Other reports describe only some bags firing, a seat side bag burning the driver, and a power driver's seat reclining on impact. Across 35 complaints, 20 injuries are recorded.

Unintended acceleration while parking or braking leads to crashes into homes and other vehicles, with owners saying the brake pedal did not stop the car. Automatic emergency braking also stops the car with nothing ahead. Radar cruise control drops out or slows abruptly in rain, bright sun, or on bumpy roads, and is slow to react when other cars cut in. A few owners say speed stays stuck below 40 mph, along with shaking, erratic RPM, and power loss that clears after a restart.

Hesitation, shuddering, and stalling are the main complaints, especially when pulling away from a stop. Owners often see high RPM, a check engine light, or a malfunction message. Some of these cases trace back to the CVT rather than the engine. Isolated reports include a cracked engine block, an engine replacement at 45,000 miles, stalls tied to the AEB control module, and power loss when snow clogs the air intake filter. Dealers frequently find no fault codes.

The wheel locks up, stiffens, or stops responding, sometimes after a malfunction message or when the engine cuts out. Several of these events ended in crashes into guardrails, medians, or trees, and the reports list 8 injuries. One fire-related report followed driving on a spare tire that did not match the other tires. Other complaints describe wheel vibration from new, power steering loss at low speed, torn lower control arm bushings, and uneven tire wear traced to the rack and pinion and tie rods.